6 August 2012

I am sure that by now, if you don't have a garden of your own, your neighbours are stealing into your yard in the wee hours of the morning and leaving care packages of zucchini on your porch. August 8th is a day designated especially for this purpose being "Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbours Porch Day." Or perhaps you are covertly picking the locks of your neighbours cars and leaving them in their baby car seats. This prolific vegetable deserves such special treatment. If this sounds all too true you have hit the mother load!!!People seem to have a love/hate relationship with this prolific summer squash. I am a lover of zucchini so am always looking for new ways to highlight it's delicate flavour.

This squash truly shines by mid-summer. As a home cook, I'm partial to the sweet, young version, whose delicate, creamy flesh lends itself well to both raw and cooked dishes. I avoid the large, mature zucchinis that haunt the stalls at many markets in late summer which have waterlogged, fibrous bodies and bitter seeds.

You know it had to happen when being overrun with copious amounts of zucchini that a cake would have to be in the line-up. If you are going to celebrate then your neighbours might not be upset if you leave this moist and delicious cake on their porch instead.

I have seen this recipe all over the blogosphere from Dolce Italiano by Gina De Palma. It lived up to all my expectations although it would be equally delicious without the lemon glaze. In warm-weather Mediterranean countries where olives grow, and where butter spoils quickly, sweets are more likely to be made with age-old olive oil. In Italy, bakers add olive oil to everything from biscotti to apple cakes. In Spain and Morocco, the zesty character of orange semolina cake is enhanced with fruity-flavoured olive oil. The tender, crumbly Greek cookies kourambiedes, too, are made with olive oil. Oil will tenderize your cake batter and help keep it moist. So it is often used in fruity, dense quick breads and muffins that are leavened with baking powder and baking soda. The trick is keeping mixing to a minimum to prevent developing tough strands of gluten.Whenever I post a recipe for olive oil cake there is always someone who will comment that they feel the olive oil would over power the flavour of the cake. I assure you that if you use a good quality virgin olive oil the light, fruity flavour will only compliment your cake and create a delicate crumb that can not be compared. After my successes with olive oil cakes made withblood oranges,clementines,Meyer lemon and poppy seed, banana and pumpkinI thought that the next innovative idea would be zucchini. You can recreate this showstopping, and yet simple cake, to win rave reviews of your own. In this cake recipe Gina uses a bundt pan to bake her cake, but, I wanted to share with L'il Burnt Toast this weekend and used 2 loaf pans instead. Adjust your cooking times accordingly to the type of pan you are using. The easiest way to do this is to to start checking your cakes doneness with the insertion of a toothpick at about the 35 minute mark. When the toothpick comes out clean it is time to allow your treasure to cool and serve to the special people in your life. What will you be doing with the zucchini left on your door step?Zucchini Olive Oil Cake

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease two loaf pans (or a 10-inch bundt) and dust them with flour.

Place the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them until they are golden brown and aromatic, 12-14 minutes. Cool completely and then finely chop them.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into a medium bowl and set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar and olive oil together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then beat in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the dry ingredients all at once on low speed until they are thoroughly combined, then switch to medium speed and mix for 30 seconds. Mix in the zucchini and walnuts on low speed until they are completely incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake the cakes for 40 to 45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the cakes comes out clean and the cakes have begun to pull away from the sides of the pans.

While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and granulated sugar, then whisk in the confectioners’ sugar until the glaze is completely smooth.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully invert them onto a wire rack. Using a pastry brush, immediately brush the glaze over the entire surface of the warm cake, using all of the glaze; it will adhere to the cake and set as the cake cools. Allow the cake to cool completely and the glaze to dry.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.

It seems that both the zucchini and the accordion are always made fun of. But we both know that when presented well they can be an absolute delight. That could be a good Polka: The Zucchini Polka.Thanks Val. Although I don't have zucchini growing in my back yard, it is just a matter of time before I will find one at my front door.

I'm running out to check my front porch right now! I'm hoping for a big pile of zucchini so I can make a mother load of this fabulous cake. Can't wait to try this! I might have my head under a rock but I haven't seen this before. :) thanks

I recall you wanting to make the Lynn Crawford Zucchini Olive Oil cake last year - with the olives in the brittle... I made it - but liked the one I posted better, and don't think I ever ended up posing lynn's. They are delicious cakes. YUM!:)V

Your comments about zucchini are so funny, Val, and so true! ;) I remember from my gardening days. Wish I had all the recipes back then! This cake looks wonderful. I've only made one olive oil cake and didn't care much for it. Will definitely try yours....once someone leaves some zucchini on my porch!

with olive oil AND zucchini, this has got to be super moist. looks like it's zucchini bread and/or cake season! my countdown to Almalfi, Rome, Venice, and Florence is in place too (only on my in-home calendar, not on my blog!) we'll have to share where and what we're doing and going!

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.